Ask not how your branding agency can help you change the world. Ask how your branding agency can help grow your business.
My twenty-plus years career running branding agencies have taught me what works and what doesn’t work in terms of positioning a business for growth. Many trends, perspectives, and buzzwords come and go. New ones continually pop up.
You’ve heard of approaches like disruption, differentiation, relevance, unique selling propositions, and personalization. But today, what you hear the most is brand purpose. Not just the what, how, or who the brand is, but the “why” you should care and how it makes the world a better place. This “why” is supposed to align with something bigger, which is more important than the straightforward selling of products.
In business for over 100 years, Nikon strives to keep its brand communications as sophisticated and cutting edge as its technology. Over the years, Nikon has come to us countless times for help winning back smartphone users, converting camera shoppers into proud Nikonians, and defending Nikon’s share of the dwindling camera market against main competitors Canon and Sony.
Nikon came to us with a list of innovative features ranging from extreme durability to long zooms, and we set out to deliver a multitasking big idea that would accomplish two unique aims: to reinforce Nikon’s status as the legacy camera brand beloved by photographers and to strategically de-position competitors by using Nikon’s strengths to draw attention to their weaknesses.
The big idea, “camera focused,” de-positioned Canon and Sony by honoring Nikon’s refusal to dilute their consumer brand with photocopiers and gaming consoles. With a strong brand idea to campaign on, we brought it to life through bold design and relevant messaging. In the smartphone era, we made a strong case for real cameras and caring about the craft, to help Nikon hold its ground as one of the world’s most iconic and desired brands.
What We Did
Brand Strategy, Brand Positioning, Brand Architecture, Visual Identity, Product Strategy, Product Architecture, Product Naming, Messaging, Brand Marketing, Website Design and Build, and Brand Consulting
